Hi folks..... Wonder if someone could give me some advice please...... I have a 15.2hh Black TB x Irish Pacer..... who can jump and loves to jump..... He is being ridden more and more this summer and getting fitter as he is entered into all the local shows etc..... Because he is getting fitter he is also getting much stronger.... He is a very push button ride and his brakes do work extremely well..... but he is getting ver head strong.....He has been ridden in a snaffle until last year when I changed it to a french link snaffle and would love some advice as to what to go to next to have more control of him !!!! Any advice would be greatly appreciated as he is my first horse (although I am 46 !!!!) Better late than never eh ??
Thanks Pamx

have you tried having some lessons, as you could be gripping with your legs, i was and did not need another stronger bit

Beware of using a stronger bit as a puller usually pulls more if there is more to pull against. You can then get into a spiral where the horse pulls to evade the stronger bit, rider pulls harder to counter, and so on. First make sure that his teeth are OK, should be checked every 6 months, also make sure that the bit is the right size (length and diameter). 99% of horses go perfectly well in a snaffle if they are comfortable mentally and physically. You should be able to stop using back and seat into a resistant (but not pulling) contact. If you really feel you need a stronger bit, I would try first using a running martingale and/or a drop noseband.

Please don't put him in a stronger bit, bits with greater severity should only be used by experienced riders for more accurate communication with the horse. For example a double bridle would be torturous to the horse in the hands of anyone but the experienced dressage rider (or sometimes showjumpers etc) and long shank pelhams are for western riders (for example) who need to ask for the halt rather than pull the horse up into it.

I'm not suggesting you're not experienced and it is a good thing how concerned you are that you'll be able to stop, plenty of people don't consider this basic thoroughly enough and then run into trouble.

But the more severe the bit you put the horse in the greater the risk of deadening his mouth or causing behavioural and performance problems as a negative side effect.

Try working with the horse on some pressure-release exercises (leg yeilding and halter work) and using your seat to stop. It's no short cut and it may take time but the concept will stay with the horse throughout the practice so build it up from a walk to a canter and onwards. If you can teach the horse to stop when you shift your seat back and remove leg contact, or just say 'whoa' before you use rein aids, he will learn to anticipate that those cues mean 'stop' and you will eventually not have to use the reins as first port of call.
Whacking him in a stronger bit may solve things for now but later on it can only cause more problems. Remember 'the most important aspect of a tool are the hands that use it'.

Sorry - slight essay! Hope it helps

When horses get fitter they can spook their riders. Believe me I know. The temptation is to use the hands more to feel more "in control". Horses slow or stop when they feel the action of the bit becasue they have learned that by doing so we stop pulling.

When the horse is a bit hot we're tempted to pull more firmly and for longer and that can confuse the horse. If we use harsher bits we increase the pull and the message of "feel the bit act and slow down or stop and the bit stops" gets lost. Horse will often try something else to stop the bit action when they get confused. What do horses do as first choice when there's something the don't like? Right, they nick off. What do we do when a horse nicks off? Right, increase the bit action. They increase the nick off.

To stop the dangerous cycle we actually need to send the VERY clear message - I use the bit and you slow or stop I will stop the bit action. Lighten the hands. Use your back and seat to increase the slow down/stop instruction. Sit down and resist his foreward movement and he will slow/stop even without the bit. You can be as strong as you like with your back. It makes foreward movement uncomfortable but won't encourage him to bolt in the way that mouth pain can.

Sorry for the essay. Been there and done it with the bit. Took ages to undo the harm that I caused. Riding did eventually become fun again and I ended up with the world's greatest bum muscles!!!!!

What everyone else said, but also, if he's got a lot fitter his shape will have changed. Have you had his saddle fit checked? If his saddle is become uncomfortable for him this could cause him to start pulling.

my mare was the same so I used a dutch gag. most of the time I used the top snaffle ring but when she had the odd phase of not listening and tanking off I used the middle ring. never used the bottom ring. I loaned the bit first to see if would work for me but it might not be right for your horse.

The problem with using a stronger bit, is if that doesn't work or he becomes used to it and gets stronger again you end up going from a stronger bit to something even stronger until you have nowhere to go.

I would first look at whether you can train him to respond better in the bit you currently use. Maybe have some lessons with a show jump instructor who can help you put together a training plan to address this.